1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of treating an area of the body by creating a therapeutic combination of materials with ultrasonic waves and spraying the combination onto the area to be treated.
2. Background of the Related Art
When confronted with wounded tissue, physicians and similar practitioners of medical arts have numerous devices and methods at their disposal. For instance, exposing the wound to oxygen may bring about a therapeutic effect. Methods of delivering oxygen to wounds have been developed and are implemented by various devices and compounds. The methods include placing the wound within an oxygen rich environment as to facilitate the diffusion of oxygen from the environment into the wound. Oxygen releasing compounds have also been placed over wounds as to allow for the diffusion of oxygen from the compound into wound.
Administering pharmaceuticals to the wound may also be utilized to treat wounded tissue by providing various therapeutic benefits. For instance, a therapeutic benefit may be obtained by utilizing pharmaceuticals to prevent an infection from developing in the wounded tissue. Specifically, keeping the wound in an infection free state can be accomplished by administering various anti-microbial agents such as, but not limited to, antiseptics, antibiotics, antiviral agents, antifungal agents, or any combination thereof. Administering various growth factors to the wounded tissue may also elicit a therapeutic benefit by promoting the growth of new tissue.
In extreme situations, the practitioner may have to resort to surgery to treat the wounded tissue. Grafting transplanted and/or bioengineered tissue onto the wounded may be necessary with severe wounds.
More experimental treatments, such as exposing the wounded tissue to ultraviolet light, electricity, and/or ultrasound, are also available to the practitioner. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,478,754, 6,761,729, 6,533,803, 6,569,099, 6,663,554, and 6,960,173 teach methods and devices utilizing an ultrasound generated spray to treat wounded tissues. Methods and devices utilizing indirect contact with the wounded tissue via a liquid aerosol are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,025,735 and 6,916,296.